LIMPOPO – Nine South African National Defence Force (SANDF) officers, who allegedly facilitated the smuggling of stolen vehicles into Zimbabwe, will reappear before the court next month.
The accused, who are out on R3 000 bail each, appeared in the Musina Magistrate’s Court on October 25 and their corruption case was postponed to December 13 for final investigations, said Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi, the regional spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).
The accused were arrested by members of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) during separate operations conducted in the North West, the Free State and the Northern Cape, respectively.
Read more: SANDF smuggling case: Ninth soldier arrested in Polokwane
The military ranks of the men range between lance-corporal and private.
The accused were deployed at the Beitbridge Border Post between 2017 and 2019 to protect the territorial integrity of the Republic of South Africa. During this period the accused reportedly facilitated vehicle smuggling syndicates to smuggle stolen vehicles across the border into Zimbabwe. It is believed they were paid R15 000 per vehicle.
